The research statement (or statement of research interests) is a common component of academic job applications. It provides an opportunity for the job candidate to describe one's research accomplishments, current work, and future direction while making a case on why your line of inquiry matters.
In this session, participants will learn about approaches and best practices of crafting a compelling and cohesive research statement, especially for those in disciplines that require a research statement as a stand-alone document (versus as part of one's cover letter).
Panelists:
Nicholas Chavkin, PhD. is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CDBRM) and in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. The primary interest of the Chavkin Lab at Seattle Children’s Research Institute is to better understand dynamic cardiac tissue resilience during heart disease, with the ultimate goal of identifying therapeutic strategies that increase resilience to stressors on the heart. Dr. Chavkin received his PhD in 2016 from the University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, in the lab of Dr. Cecilia Giachelli. He then trained as a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Karen Hirschi and Dr. Kenneth Walsh, starting at Yale University and continuing through a lab move in 2018 to the University of Virginia. He started at Seattle Children’s Research Institute in July 2024.
Katja Kasimatis, PhD. is an Assistant Professor in Biology at the University of Virginia. She received her PhD in Biology from the University of Oregon and was a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto. Katja is fascinated by the diversity of sexes and evolutionary consequences of selection for sexual differentiation. Research in the Kasimatis lab leverages the power of the Caenorhabditis nematode model systems to relate the action of sex-specific selection on phenotypes to the evolution of their genetic architecture. Their work integrates genetic engineering, experimental evolution, genomics, population genetic theory, and evolutionary ecology to discover how sexual differentiation arises, persists, and impacts genomes. Outside of work Katja enjoys baking, reading, ballet, and cuddling with her kitty, Olivia. She also loves traveling and has lived in four countries outside her home state of California.
Yoshi Miyazaki, PhD. is a Stanback Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Caltech Center for Comparative Planetary Evolution (3CPE). He received his B.Sc. from the University of Tokyo in Japan and his Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Yale University. He will soon start as an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University. Yoshi's research focuses on deciphering the formation and early evolution stages of terrestrial planets. He employs thermochemical evolution models to study protoplanetary disks and magma oceans, which sets the initial condition for the subsequent geological and atmospheric evolution. His research also spans the Galilean satellites—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto—to understand the unique geophysical and geological characteristics of these moons, offering new perspectives on how planetary bodies function in general. He will continue to work on broad problems related to planetary formation and evolution, with the goal of answering "how and why life emerged on Earth?”
NOTE: This discussion focuses on STEM research. Find information on Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Research Agendas here.
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